Must-see nightlife in England

  • Culpeper

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    Stripped back to bare bricks and smartened up with potted plants and industrial light fixtures, this corner pub serves an interesting selection of wine,…

  • Boathouse

    South Cornwall

    Another local's tip, a cosy split-level pub that also serves decent grub and one of the best Sunday roasts in town. The main room has the air of a ship's…

  • Waterway

    Notting Hill & West London

    Don’t come here for the selection of beer or ales or the expensive nosh; this place, hard by the Grand Union Canal in Little Venice, is all about location…

  • Dirty Duck

    Stratford-upon-Avon

    Also called the 'Black Swan', this enchanting riverside alehouse is the only pub in England to be licensed under two names. It's a favourite thespian…

  • Odd

    Manchester

    This eclectic little bar – with its oddball furnishings, wacky tunes and anti-establishment crew of customers – is a Northern Quarter stalwart and the…

  • Arts Club

    Liverpool

    This converted theatre is home to one of Liverpool's most beloved clubs, despite going through several name and management changes. It still hosts some…

  • Bread & Roses

    Plymouth

    Plymouth's arty crowd loves this characterful combo of hip boozer, social-enterprise visionary and cultural hub. Amid its Edwardian-meets-modern decor you…

  • Plush Lounge

    Oxford

    Oxford’s one and only gay club has an all-inclusive vibe. In action for just a few nights each week – Tuesday’s especially for students – it stays open…

  • Southwestern Distillery

    Cornwall

    This small-scale distillery makes small batches of its two spirits, Tarquin's Gin and aniseed-flavoured Cornish Pastis in a flame-fired, copper pot still…

  • King of Prussia

    South Cornwall

    Fowey has lots of pubs, but you might as well go for the one with the best harbour view, named after notorious 'free trader' (otherwise known as smuggler)…

  • Old Neptune

    Kent

    A ramshackle pub about as far onto the beach as it’s possible to get (it’s been washed away several times by high tides) with cosy winter window seats and…

  • Attendant

    The West End

    This abandoned Victorian public toilet got a flush of new life when this coffee shop opened here in 2013. The restroom has been sensitively restored (and…

  • Hack & Hop

    London

    The Hack & Hop is the best place for craft brews this side of the City, usually pouring pints for suited Fleet St workers after 5pm. Friendly staff can…

  • Bridge

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    It doesn't look like much from the outside, but shuffle into this eastern Mediterranean–style cafe-bar and you'll find an Aladdin's cave. Upstairs is…

  • Vinoteca

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    Simple yet elegant oak decor, an astonishingly comprehensive wine list and amiable service make this a popular choice with suited City workers and local…

  • Black Lion

    The Midlands & the Marches

    The more real ales and local ciders you knock back in this traditional pub, the more you may believe the tales of resident ghosts from the site's history…

  • 93 Feet East

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    Part of the Old Truman Brewery complex, this venue has a courtyard, two big rooms and an outdoor terrace that gets packed with a cool crowd on sunny…

  • Maypole

    Cambridge

    A dozen pumps dispensing real ale, 50 gins, a roomy beer garden and a friendly, unreconstructed vibe make this red-brick pub popular with the locals. That…

  • Allpress Espresso

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    Part of the great Antipodean takeover of London cafes, this distant outpost of a New Zealand brand serves perfectly crafted coffee from its neat-as-a-pin…

  • Red Lion

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    Just far enough from Hoxton Sq to avoid being overrun by weekend blow-ins, the Red Lion has a local-pub vibe – but given this is Hoxton, the locals are…

  • Quilliam Brothers' Tea House

    Newcastle-upon-Tyne

    Set up by a trio of brothers as 'an alternative to Newcastle's boozy scene', this hip Hungarian-style teahouse with postindustrial decor has over 100…

  • Old Blue Last

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    Frequently crammed with a hip teenage-and-up crowd, this scuffed corner pub’s edgy credentials are courtesy of Vice magazine, the bad-boy rag that owns…

  • Shoreditch Grind

    Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields

    Housed in a striking little round building, this hip cafe serves top coffee, cooked breakfasts (until a decadent 5pm and all day on weekends) and then…

  • Steinbeck & Shaw

    Canterbury

    Canterbury’s best city-centre nightspot has a supercool, 21st-century interior with urban and retro elements. The weekly program is a mixed bag of rock…

  • Front

    South Cornwall

    The beer-buffs' choice in Falmouth: a cosy spit-and-sawdust pub, with scuffed wood floors and a copious choice of real ales chalked up above the bar,…

  • Bari Tea

    Northumberland Coast

    Over 30 different varieties of loose-leaf tea are on offer at this 'tea brewery', whose name means 'lovely' in the local Northumbrian dialect. Teas are…

  • Bear & Billet

    Chester

    Chester's oldest timber-framed building is this 1664 pub, which is more modern inside than its exterior suggests – there was no carpeting, darts boards or…

  • Parrot

    Canterbury

    Built in 1370 on Roman foundations, Canterbury’s oldest boozer has a snug, beam-rich, slightly upmarket pub downstairs and a much-lauded dining room…

  • Barrels Alehouse

    Northumberland Coast

    Berwick's best watering hole attracts a mixed, laid-back crowd who can be found sipping real ales and micro-distilled gins and whiskies at all hours. On…

  • Brighton Rocks

    Brighton & Hove

    Incongruously located in an alley of garages and used-car lots, this cocktail bar is firmly established on the Kemptown gay scene, but welcomes all-comers…

  • Pivní

    York

    A slick, modern pub set in an ancient half-timbered house, Pivní provides an atmospheric setting for sampling its range of more than 80 draught and…

  • Fuel

    Yorkshire

    A nondescript facade conceals one of Hull's hottest club, proudly but not exclusively gay, with camp comedy and drag shows as well as DJs and dancers…

  • Liar's Club

    Manchester

    A basement bar designed in the style of a speakeasy/tiki lounge, the Liar's Club serves strong cocktails to an assorted clientele of revellers, students…

  • Digital

    Newcastle-upon-Tyne

    A two-floored cathedral to dance music, this megaclub with a capacity of 1400 was voted one of the top 20 clubs in the world by DJ Magazine thanks to its…

  • Dolly's

    South Cornwall

    Frilly and friendly, Dolly's captures the delights of the English tearoom – complete with charity-shop lamps, bone-china teapots and cake stands. It kicks…

  • Barca Art Bar

    Northeast England

    This funky hybrid bar and art gallery (the works by local artists are all for sale) has DJs spinning Thursday to Saturday nights from 8pm, creative…

  • King's Arms

    York

    York's best-known pub enjoys a fabulous riverside location, with tables spilling out onto the quayside. It's the perfect spot on a summer evening, but be…

  • Lass O'Gowrie

    Manchester

    A Victorian classic off Princess St that brews its own beer in the basement. It's a favourite with students, old-timers and anyone looking for an…

  • Old Joint Stock

    Birmingham

    A vast high-ceilinged temple of a pub, housed in an 1852-built former bank, the Old Joint Stock is beloved by a high-spirited after-work crowd. Upstairs,…

  • Hawkshead Brewery

    The Lake District

    This renowned craft brewery has its own beer hall in Staveley, 3 miles east of Windermere. Core beers include Hawkshead Bitter, dark Brodie's Prime and…

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